A Private Business Incubator in Birmingham, Alabama

The venture capital business model is built on the theory that if you do ten investments and have one huge return, what happens with the other nine investments doesn’t matter. I don’t take issue with the financial argument of this model. However, I do have an issue...

In 2018, Innovate Birmingham published their final report on the Birmingham entrepreneurial ecosystem. (See five articles at the end of this link - http://www.innovatebham.com/about/) In that report, the core conclusion is that Birmingham needs more “funded...

“There’s nothing in the world more powerful than a good story.” That’s what Tyrion Lannister says in the series finale of Game of Thrones. Whether or not you like the show’s conclusion, the conclusion that stories matter is undeniably true. Entrepreneurialism and business are no exception to this rule.

The role of the board and the board chair for a small and middle-sized private business is materially different from the role of a non-profit’s board and from a public company’s board, which must follow a host of securities regulation and compliance laws. ...

Birmingham is still recovering from economic mistakes of the past. We can’t repeat them. When the clock struck midnight the other night, I heard the refrain, “Time to party like it’s 1999.” I guess a little Prince, coupled with a year mnemonically similar to an event...

The Birmingham entrepreneurial ecosystem is now in its adolescence. Just like a teenager, our entrepreneurial system does miraculous things that impress, inspire, and invigorate the community -- then stays out past curfew, blows allowance money, and remind us that the...

The regional cooperation bandwagon has gained some momentum and received good press. The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham recently released a report showing a comparative argument through an analysis of similar metro areas and their success and failure, as...

As an avid football fan, I (rightly or wrongly) try to find business lessons in football. As I watched a great National Championship game Monday night, two business lessons came to mind as I was alone on my couch and then tossing in bed during the three-hour wind down...

Do you know what you could not do four years ago? Get anything from Shipt. Four years and 550 million dollars later, the sale of Shipt is a huge win for Birmingham. Congratulations to Bill Smith and all the people involved. What this shows Birmingham, and the...

First Avenue Ventures is passionate about Birmingham’s entrepreneurs. We are building a private business incubator dedicated to serving entrepreneurial companies. We help with strategy, accountability, marketing, and financing and we can leverage our network and expertise to accelerate your company.

We work to become your trusted partner towards meeting and exceeding your organization’s expectations and accelerating your growth. Our ultimate goal is to see Birmingham businesses thrive in the city we love.